Got to disagree with you there. Half the problems of the police forces in Australia, up until the late 80s-90s, has been the fact that they've always been 99.9% WASPs, and those that weren't were the token Catholic. A Police force that reflects their community is going to be far more able to obtain co-operation and valuable information, and this is what boosts their effectiveness, not the size of their biceps or the amount of steel in their jackboots.

Just my 2c.

Until you need one to drag you from a burning house or car........think man, think !

Cops in Australia have a terrible attitude anyway, make British cops seem like angels !

I was signaled to wind my window down and one asked me if I wanted an effing ticket ? I couldn't believe my ears !!!! This went on for a couple of to ad fro's until he just sped off.....rude wouldn't cover it .

^^ I don't think you are both on the same wavelength. On pure feats of strength, you pick the most capable person. In the unlikely event that the 4 foot tall disabled lesbian is the strongest, most capable person at the test, then more power to them... that's not a racist comment.

Wurtulla was saying that all Australian cops are goons, despite their race. Separate issue.

Closet racism ?? My niece is lesbian and my uncle a Sikh. You don't know me for a bar of soap and I'd appreciate you keep your wild assumptions to yourself.

Was this Aussie cop a wasp ? Now, there's a racist comment is it not ? Glass house and stone throwing ????

So, to topic. (I don't bear grudges, luckily)....

My point is, would you want the best suited to the job or a person appointed to fill a job that's politically motivated ?

Eg, my mate was left in a coma after attending a domestic violence call in geraldton(he was a cop) his partner, a small blonde 20 something hid in the car, locked doors and watched him take a kicking from 2 blokes.

Now, if that was 2x 6 foot blokes , you reckon that would have panned out same way ???

Xplora wrote:^^ I don't think you are both on the same wavelength. On pure feats of strength, you pick the most capable person. In the unlikely event that the 4 foot tall disabled lesbian is the strongest, most capable person at the test, then more power to them... that's not a racist comment.

Wurtulla was saying that all Australian cops are goons, despite their race. Separate issue.

JonoMarshall wrote:I felt far safer riding around London without a helmet than riding around Brisbane with one, I find it increasingly hard to believe that a helmet will keep you safe if you have (any kind) of crash.

That is because a helmet will not "keep you safe if you have... ...[a] crash."

However, there is a good chance it will reduce the severity of a head injury.

Personally I'd rather have the increased freedom (visibility/moment) that riding without a helmet allows.

Also: Motorists give non-helmet wearing plain-clothes riders (with a bit of a wobble on) far more room than they give helmet wearing lycra-lad 'pros'... the former keeps you statistically safer than avoiding a major brain bruise in the event of a crash.

I was reading the front page by accident. Professor Rissel's quote on the front page has pretty much finished the conversation for my thinking - eloquent, to the point, and covers everything.

The saddest part is that we are faced with so many challenges, and the bicycle has the ability to help with many of them. Congestion, transport for the poor, obesity issues, activity levels in the population, smoking and drinking... these things are helped by riding. Only a silly person smokes if they ride a fair bit, the main person who suffers if you drink and ride is your drunken self, hard to bludge.

That chink in the armour is looking bigger and bigger... practicality is now an accepted excuse at law in Qld, because it infringes on rights. The leap to the rest of the population is not nearly as far as some might think.

Xplora wrote:That chink in the armour is looking bigger and bigger... practicality is now an accepted excuse at law in Qld, because it infringes on rights. The leap to the rest of the population is not nearly as far as some might think.

It has been mentioned elsewhere that Sikhs swung this for motorcycle helmets in the UK some 30-40 years ago. Near as I can judge, the motorcycle helmet laws aren't going anywhere. Plus WA (and possibly others) has had a religious-and-cultural exemption for some time. So I don't see any historical precedent for this being the beginning of the end for MHLs.

high_tea wrote:So I don't see any historical precedent for this being the beginning of the end for MHLs.

The beginning of the end occurred some time ago. It is just a long ending.

On a related cycling note. My sister is having to wear less form fitting clothes while riding her bike because of a number of comments about her cycling while pregnant!? There really is something wrong with this country and their attitudes to cycling. She plans on buying a Bakfiets to transport the child of course the legality of all that is questionable.

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